Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Afford the Royal Air Force necessary funding and equipment to fulfil its critical national protection role.
Conclusion
Although these risks were acknowledged in the Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCPR), the actions taken to address them are totally inadequate to the scale of the challenge. The DCPR stands as a missed opportunity to reverse the deeply damaging cuts of 2021: the Royal Air Force, as with all our Armed Forces, must be afforded the funding and equipment it needs to properly carry out its critical role in protecting our nation. (Paragraph 126) 44 Aviation Procurement: Winging it?
Government Response Summary
The government defends its current funding allocation for Defence, citing a £24 billion increase over four years, and asserts that the RAF is being modernised and transformed through existing investment to remain capable for current and future threats.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
It is precisely because of its critical duty to defend the UK and its interests that at the last Spending Review, Defence received £24 billion over four years—the largest increase to defence spending since the Cold War. This increased investment will support the delivery of Defence’s major transformation programmes outlined in in the 2021 DCP, which will deliver capabilities across the Armed Forces. Far from being “diminished”, the RAF’s air and space power will continue to play a vital role in the security and prosperity of the UK and our allies. Alongside, 24/7 defence of the UK, last year the RAF deployed 7500 personnel on 41 operations across 75 countries, including included a near constant presence in the Black Sea, and an enhanced presence on NATO’s eastern flank, seeing a doubling of the number operational sorties compared with the previous year. Aviation Procurement: Winging It?: Government Response 11 The decisions taken in DCP 2021, and endorsed in the refresh earlier this year, will see the RAF continue to modernise and transform, ensuring it becomes even more capable to meet current and future threats. Its journey to becoming a more networked and digitally- connected force, built around more capable platforms and the first-rate people who operate and support them, will ensure its enduring ability to fulfil its critical role in protecting our nation.